Dennis Conner

Dennis was an innovative, creative and hardworking educator.  He started teaching in 1969 when Woodlake High School was a Model School on Modular Scheduling.  It was a great time to be teaching if you had creative ideas, because our Superintendent, Bud Loverin, encouraged creative, student focused ideas. This was the perfect educational environment for Dennis’s creative spirit. 

He was teaching Spanish, French, and English as a Second Language (ESL).  During this time, students had unscheduled time to go to classes they were interested in or in which they needed extra help. Many of Dennis’s students were interested in Hispanic Dance and Music and requested Dennis to help them with their dance research. This led to Dennis developing a Mexican Folk Dance class in 1970 open to all Woodlake High School students. The program became Dennis’s passion due to student participation and overall enthusiasm. He took students to dance workshops all over California. He  traveled to Mexico in the summer of 1979 with a group of students to attend Folklorico Dance workshops and to investigate cultural and regional costumes. Dennis, with the help of local seamstresses and the Home Ec Department at Woodlake High School, then created costumes. His dance skirts and pants had a unique, one size fits most, design. 

Dennis also started a youth group of elementary school students to help build and continue the program. As the Ballet Folklorico program grew, Dennis expanded the program to include a student-requested marimba band. The Woodlake Mexican Folk Dance program classes continued to grow into an award-winning program copied throughout the state.

In 1986, Dennis was hired as a Woodlake High School counselor. He continued his involvement and encouragement of the Ballet Folklorico program and ensured that it would continue to grow into the outstanding program it is today.  Many of his dancers have become dance teachers, professional dancers, including Hector Corvera, who taught the program for many years, and Lisa Perez the current instructor.   

When Dennis became a counselor, he continued his creative thinking, bringing his unique perspective as he encouraged students to become everything they could be. He and his counseling partner, Sally Pace, started many programs that are still in existence today, including: Career Day, College Study Trips, Portfolios, Senior Exit Interviews, and the Community Service Graduation Requirement. 

Dennis Connor definitely left a lasting mark on the Woodlake High School culture! His  quiet style of leadership and careful planning helped sell his ideas to the administration, staff, parents, students, and the WHS  School Board. Dennis retired in 2004 after thirty-five years of dedication to Woodlake High School.   

Thank you, Dennis, for all your ideas, creativity and hard work. Your dedication and inclusive leadership changed many lives and programs at WHS.